Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com
IT WAS OVER WHEN
DeMar DeRozan completed a three-point play to push Toronto’s lead to 20 points with 4:01 remaining. Although the Raptors trailed early, they never relinquished their lead after pulling ahead of the Pistons in the second quarter, coasting to a 103-89 victory behind a huge effort from their bench. The win moves Toronto to 35-16 on the season.
BENCH PROVIDES BOOST AFTER SLOW START
Toronto got off to a rocky start in and fell behind by eight in the first quarter, but the Lowry + reserves lineup came through once again as the Raptors shook off the sluggish start and took control of the game in the second quarter despite their two All-Stars struggling from the floor.
SCORCHING SECOND QUARTER
After shooting a dismal 35 percent in the opening quarter, Toronto shot 73 percent in the second (11-for-15 field goals), including 67 percent from beyond the arc. Terrence Ross scored nine of his 13 first-half points in the quarter, as he helped Toronto take a six-point halftime lead.
CLOSING OUT STRONG
Head coach Dwane Casey has cautioned his players about looking forward to the All-Star break and losing sight of the task at hand. After taking care of business in Detroit, Toronto will now aim to do the same against the Timberwolves on Wednesday night to go into the break on a positive note.
RAPTORS PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME
Kyle Lowry shook off a slow start to finish with a game-high 25 points, three rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Lowry shot 9-for-14 from the floor, 2-for-5 from beyond the arc and 5-for-5 from the free throw line in 38 minutes.
UNDERRATED RAPTORS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Raptors reserves. This is a victory that wouldn’t have happened without the steady play of the bench. From helping to turn the tide in the first half, to keeping the distance late, the reserves were huge in against the Pistons. Terrence Ross led the way offensively with 18 points on 7-for-13 field goals, Cory Joseph added 15 points on 7-for-9 field goals, and Patrick Patterson added nine points on 3-for-4 field goals.
THAT'S A RAP…
“We’re growing a lot. I think we’ve got to credit the coaching staff for really staying disciplined with us and understanding no matter how many games we win in a row or what record we stand at in the conference, we’ve got to play with that sense of urgency every single night.”- DeMar DeRozan on how the team has matured this season
BY THE #’S
42… Points for Toronto’s bench compared to 28 for the Pistons.31… Combined turnovers in this game. The Raptors had 15 of them, leading to 26 points for Detroit.55… Percent shooting from beyond the arc for Toronto. The Raptors shot 11-for-20 from deep, with Patterson shooting 3-for-4, and Ross making 4-of-6 attempts.16… Fast break points for the Raptors, compared to just three for the Pistons.17… Points, seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and a post-game videobomb for DeMar DeRozan in 33 minutes.
THEY SAID IT…
“I thought Cory and T.Ross came in, Pat was a +23 and he was 3-for-4 from the field so he was doing some energetic things defensively, [he was] active, moving the basketball, he was screening and creating space, and Cory was Cory. Coming in and changing the game with his energy and toughness and grit and grime. The bench really came in and carried us tonight.”- Dwane Casey praising the bench“You can’t get tired if you’re a real competitor. If you’re a real competitor and all you care about is winning you can’t get tired of that.”- DeMar DeRozan on if he ever gets tired of hearing the coaching staff talk about the importance of discipline every day“We know that they’re a great team in late fourth quarters, so we knew that we had to lock down and not let them get on any runs. Keep on playing with the same intensity and effort we played with in he third and second [quarters].”- Cory Joseph on the mindset in the fourth quarter to prevent a Detroit comeback“We just kind of got into a groove and got into our defence a little more. Got more physical. They’re a physical team so we had to meet their physicality and just play our game.”- Kyle Lowry on the turning point of the game
UP NEXT:
The Raptors play their final game before the All-Star break in Minnesota against the Timberwolves on Wednesday at 8 P.M. ET.